But Grand Rapids native Ted Conrad was able to develop his talents in business, athletics and music, while keeping his life centered around faith, family and church.

Conrad, 81, has that balance documented in a new biography, “Ted Conrad: Through It All,” a book published by WestBow Press and written by local author Carl Conrad.

The book’s subject and its author (no relation) will host a signing session for the new book on Friday, March 1, at Barnes & Noble in Grandville.

“This book actually opened my eyes to how blessed I really am,” said Ted Conrad, from his Byron Center-area home.

Music is likely his best known pursuit. Conrad joined his older brother’s Barbershop quartet at age 11.

“I also sang in a quartet when I was in the Air Force – and even in USO shows once in a while,” said Conrad, who was already married to Bonnie (Bos) with three kids during his military service.

Ted was the original lead singer for The Heralders, founded in 1963 with fellow singers Bill Sterk, Hank VanderLoon and Ken Dykstra. Ted sang with them for 42 years.

They performed as many as 40 weekends a year in their heyday, doing arrangements of hymns and gospel songs and performing in both Welsh Auditorium and DeVos Performance Hall.

Author Carl Conrad, who met Ted just four years ago, was fascinated with the depth of his experiences and his character.

“When we began this project, each time I’d get into a different area of his life I was even more impressed,” said the author, a retired Davenport University instructor.

Athletics was another area where Ted connected with many people.

A star athlete at Kellogsville High School, Ted later played with the local semi-pro Chic Paint baseball team.

He recalled switching positions one day to accommodate a young, highly touted shortstop.

“That player was Mickey Stanley,” Conrad noted of the local player who soon after was signed by the Detroit Tigers.

Conrad gained more notoriety as a coach and sponsor. His Conrad-Patterson food brokerage business sponsored a top men’s softball team featuring two of his sons that won three state championships from 1989-91. The elder Conrad is in the Michigan Softball Hall of Fame.

Ted ConradCourtesy Photo

He also coached a recreation league youth football team in Wyoming Park back in the 1960s. Conrad was tabbed as the first football coach at Calvin Christian High School when it began the sport in 1973.

“He was like a father to so many of those boys – years later they were still telling him how they appreciated him,” said Carl Conrad, who compiled stories of Ted’s coaching experience for the book.

Conrad’s business acumen also is noted, including his experience in sales, management and success in the competitive food brokerage business.

All the while Ted and Bonnie were raising seven children, and enduring his later in life health challenges.

He has survived multiple heart attacks, vocal chord surgery in 1988, heart bypass in 1993, and a severe stroke the following year which left him in a coma for more than a month.

His body has 12 stents – eight in the heart, two in a kidney artery and two in a stomach artery.

"They call me the ‘stent’ man,” he said, laughing.

He retired from The Heralders eight year ago; the group has continued without him. His voice is raspy, but he still takes his turn leading songs with a praise team at Newhall Community Church in Wyoming.

"I’ll continue to do that as long as I can – there’s gonna be a day,” he said.

Conrad serves part-time as the church administrator, a key role that began the church’s comeback after going through some rough waters before the arrival of its current pastor Dan Kroeze.

The book was definitely crafted with a nod to the Conrad family. There are extended quotes from each of the seven Conrad children, poems from grandchildren, and a family tree chart of 79 that includes one great-great grandchild.

It also lists the songs with some lyrics recorded by the gospel group. One is the tune that gave the book its title, “Through It All.”

“When I look back and see all the things I’ve been through, I realized I have grown spiritually each time I had a setback,” said Conrad.

“It finally made sense when I was flat on my back that I had to look up at someone else who is in control.”